Covid-19: Coronavirus scam could leave your computer infected
The victim is instructed to fill out a pre-filled Excel form, which is actually a macro-laden Office document that serves as a trojan downloader and is currently only detected by a handful of anti-virus applications.
KnowBe4 announced it has discovered a new type of phishing scam warning people that they’ve come into contact with a friend/colleague/family member who has been infected with the coronavirus.
The email instructs them to download a malicious attachment and proceed immediately to the hospital.
This particular social engineering scheme appears to come from a legitimate hospital, which is why it’s so alarming and could trick even a cautious end user.
The victim is instructed to fill out a pre-filled Excel form, which is actually a macro-laden Office document that serves as a trojan downloader and is currently only detected by a handful of anti-virus applications.
Also read: Covid-19: Minister appeals to companies to supply correct employee details
This piece of malware has a number of advanced functions that allow it to evade detection by security applications, worm its way deep into an infested system, and serve as a platform for a variety of criminal activities.
“This is a new type of malware that we?re seeing, as it was reported for the first time just a few days ago,” said Eric Howes, principal lab researcher, KnowBe4.
“For the bad guys, this is a target-rich environment that prays on end users” fears and heightened emotions during this pandemic. Employees need to be extra cautious when it comes to any emails related to Covid-19 and they need to be trained and educated to expect them, accurately identify them and handle them safely.”
For more information, visit the KnowBe4 Blog.
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
